A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Odocoileus hemionus
These are the remains of a Mule deer. Mule deer are named for their mule like ears and average about 40–42 inches at the shoulders and a nose-to-tail length of about 80 inches. Adult does weigh around 125–175 pounds. Unlike the whitetail, the mule deer does not show marked size variation across its range.
Mule deers are common west of the Mississippi. Mule Deer move between various zones from the forest edges at higher elevations to the desert floor, depending on the season. While the Mule Deer occupies almost all types of habitat within its range, it seems to prefer arid, open areas and rocky hillsides.
I found her remains and many others in what I believe must have been a cougars hunting ground. Didn't stick around to find out but I wanted to get a quick picture of this beautiful intact skull.
Spotted on Sep 10, 2010
Submitted on Jan 29, 2012
1 Comment
Great picture! From the looks of her teeth, she was a young deer. To be sure, look at the fusion marks of the plates in her skull, if you can still see the zig-zag seem down the middle she was probably under three years old!